PROGRESS REPORT: Shrine of Zarvanytsia begins construction (01/04/98)

PROGRESS REPORT: Shrine of Zarvanytsia begins construction

by the Rev. Roman Hankevych

Every year in the spring, on the Feast of St. George, pilgrimages to Zarvanytsia begin. They continue until the Feast of the Protection of the Blessed Mother on October 14.

Every Sunday, and on important holy days, great numbers of faithful come to receive confession, participate in the liturgy and receive communion. Pilgrims kneel and pray before the miraculous icon of the Mother of God, tell the Blessed Mother their troubles, and thank her for the special grace of a pilgrimage to Zarvanytsia. At the conclusion of the pilgrimage, they go to the spring to pray again, wash in the miraculous water and possibly take some home in a little bottle for those who were not able to make the pilgrimage.

On May 11, 1997, the first Sunday after the Feast of St. George, Bishop Mykhail Sabryha, with the blessing of the cornerstone, began the great task of building the grand sobor of the Mother of God of Zarvanytsia. Many church and government dignitaries, and thousands of faithful helped to make this historic day unforgettable. Following an old custom, entire parishes with their priests, carrying banners and singing songs, came to Zarvanytsia for this beloved pilgrimage.

In the summer, the Youth Congress was begun with an unprecedented pilgrimage from Zakarpattia. On July 20, 1997, more than a thousand pilgrims came by bus and car, under the leadership of Bishop Ivan Margitych of Zakarpattia. On Friday, July 25, 1997, the Youth Congress began with thousands of young men and women participating. There were more than 200 priests, a great numbers of sisters, monks, and seminarians present.

Since 1997 had been declared the year dedicated to Jesus Christ, the theme of the Congress was "You are Christ, the Son of the Living God"; its goal was for youth to get to know and understand Jesus Christ more closely. There are still many atheists in Ukraine, thus, there is a need to speak about God, and God's Word needs to be spread among youth.

On Saturday, Bishop Lubomyr Husar, the auxiliary bishop to Cardinal Myroslav Ivan Lubachivsky, primate of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church, arrived to participate.

On Sunday liturgy was celebrated by Bishops Husar, Sabryha and Margitych. In his sermon, Bishop Husar called youth to be faithful to God, and encouraged each, according to his ability, to do everything possible to spread and strengthen belief in God and faithfulness to Christian morality in Ukraine.

Every evening, near the miraculous fresh-water spring, concerts took place in the candlelight. Just before the sun rose in the morning, a bonfire was lit. On July 28, 1997, the Congress ended. Youths and their leaders returned home with new enthusiasm, and a renewed and strengthened Christian view of life.

Usually, the Feast of the Dormition of the Mother of God is a most popular holy day. Since the harvest is over, homes can be left behind and attention turned towards returning the spirit.

This year, the Dormition pilgrimage was unusually grand. For decades the communists had tried to destroy everything Ukrainian. They destroyed customs and folk traditions, but they didn't destroy the faith of the people nor their love for the Mother of God. With the first glimmer of freedom, the people returned to their ancestral customs and practices, and among these practices there is a renewed interest in pilgrimages.

In the past there was a practice whereby a whole village would go on a pilgrimage to Zarvanytsia. Some pilgrims walked for as long as five days from Kolomyia, Nadvirna, Kosiv, Hordenka, Zalischyky and other places. They carried their food in baskets slung across their shoulders, slept in barns offered by good people, sang together and asked local priests to lead the Akafist to the Mother of God in their churches. One pilgrim recalled the years before the second world war when the pilgrims filled the roads and paths on the way to Zarvanytsia, and from afar one could tell by their dress and embroidery the regions from where the they came.

During the Feast of the Dormition, the main liturgy was celebrated by Bishop Pavlo Vasylyk, the hero of Zarvanytsia, who in 1988 - despite danger and threats - courageously celebrated a liturgy to commemorate the Millennium of Christianity in Ukraine.

This year, over 6,000 pilgrims received the sacraments. After the liturgy, a traditional procession to the miraculous spring took place, where water was blessed as well as flowers - which is the prescribed practice of this feast.

On the Feast of the Nativity of the Mother of God, 110 seminarians of the Ternopil Eparchy went on a pilgrimage, walking all the way from Ternopil to Zarvanytsia under the leadership of their priests. Many of them had begun their priestly studies in the rectory in Zarvanytsia. In 1990 the Rev. Vasyl Semiuk, the pastor in Zarvanytsia, had founded a home for young candidates to further their knowledge of religion as the instruction they had received in their homes may not have been adequate to enter the seminary.

On the Feast of the Nativity of the Mother of God, the pilgrimages ended to be begun again on the Feast of St. George in the spring of 1998. Parish life in Zarvanytsia will continue, however. The building of the Church of the Mother of God in Zarvanytsia, started on May 11, 1997, also will go on.

Many Ukrainians in the diaspora responded to the call of Cardinal Lubachivsky and all the bishops and sent their offerings, but the needs are still great.

In his letter "to all people of good will," Cardinal Lubachivsky asked the professionals and businesspeople to set aside funds for the building of this church. He especially addressed those whom God had blessed with special talents, those who were able to complete their studies and become professionals.

Cardinal Lubachivsky wrote: "Let us honor the Mother of God of Zarvanytsia, in the same manner as the French honor Lourdes and the Portuguese honor Fatima and the Polish honor an icon that originated in Ukraine and now is known as the Mother of God of Czestochowa." He and all the bishops of the Greek-Catholic Church in Ukraine asked all to join the great collection. Offerings will help erect a worthy temple to house the miraculously saved icon of the Mother of God of Zarvanytsia.

Ukrainians from the diaspora visit Ukraine and do not forget about Zarvanytsia. They offer their support, remembering the past and expressing gratitude for protection in difficult times, for saved lives. Their deep devotion to the Blessed Mother is felt by those in Ukraine. The Rev. Semiuk said: "Although you are far away, with your hearts you are always near. We feel that."

Even the smallest offering will be recognized with a personal certificate; the names of major donors will be inscribed on a commemorative plaque in the shrine.

Please make checks payable to Shrine of the Zarvanytsia Mother of God and mail them to: Sobor Building Committee, 15 St. Olga St., Hamilton, Ontario L8L 6R3; or to Selfreliance Credit Union, 108 Second Ave., New York, NY 10003-8392.